Flue-scraper.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1908.

E. E. FLETCHER. FLUE SGRAPBR.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 23, 1905.

ili-

'mw' emisor* Edward F Fl l ghef EDWARD F. FLETCHER, OF WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS.

FLUE-SCRAPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Application filed November 23, 1905. Serial No. 288,686.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at IVorcester, in the county of I/Vorcester and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in aFlue-Scraper, of which the following is a specification, accompanied bydrawings, forming a part of the same, in which- Figure l represents aside view of a iue scraper embodying my present invention. Fig, 2 is adetached and perspective view of the expanding spring by which thecontour of' the flue scraping section is restored,

Similar reference letters and Jfigures refer to similar parts in thedifferent views.

My present invention relates to a liue scraper which comprises a pair of'metallic heads l and 2, connected together by a bolt 3, having aportion screw threaded at 4 and provided with nuts 5 by which the headsl and 2 are drawn toward each other between the nuts 5 and a shoulder 6.The heads l and 2 are recessed as indicated by the broken lines 7 and Sto receive the ends of the knit wire section 9, consisting of a seriesof looped and interlaced elastic steel wires forming a tubular sectiongradually increasing in diameter from each end toward the center, theouter surfaces of said wires forming the scraping section of the device.

My present invention consists in providing the elastic wire scrapingsection 9 with an inclosed expanding spring lO shown in detachedperspective view in Fig. 2. The expanding spring l0 is formed from anelastic steel plate bent substantially in the form of a circular tube,but having one of its ends ll bent abruptly inward so as to insure theoverlapping of the ends of the spring as the spring is compressed. Thecompression of the spring which brings the ends together causes the bentend ll to slide beneath the opposite end l2. At suitable points upon thespring l0 I provide outwardly projecting spurs 13 which are adapted toenter between the meshes of the wire section 9 and prevent thedisplacement of the spring within the scra er, serving to hold itcentral between the eads l and 2.

In operation the scraper is provided with a long handle, a portion ofwhich is shown at 14, by which the scraper is pushed back and forththrough the flue with the meshed wires of the scraping section 9 incontact with the interior surface of the flue. The normal diameter ofthe scraping section 9 is greaterl than the interior diameter of theflue to be cleaned, causing a compression of the meshed wires in thescraping section and pressing them against the exterior surface of theexpanding spring l0. The spring l0 is of sufficient diameter so thatwhen it is inserted within the nieslied scraping section 9, it willexert normally a pressure against'the interior of the wires, holdingthem in their normally expanded position, and as the scraping section 9is compressed within the flue the tension of the spring l0 maintainssufficient pressure against the yielding wires of the scraping section 9to forcibly remove the soot or other accretions which have been formedon the surface of the flue. As the scraper is violently pushed throughthe flue and retracted, an unequal contraction of the flue scrapingsection results, due to irregularity of the deposit upon vthe innersurface of the flue, but the relative position of the meshed wires 9 andthe expanding spring l0 is constantly maintained by the interlockingspurs 13. i

I/Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. As an article of manufacture, a fiue scraper having a centraliiexible section, means for varying the diameter of said centralsection, an annular spring inclosed in said central section, with oneend of said spring bent at an angle to allow free movement of theopposite end of the spring when the diameter of said central section isvaried.

2. As an article of manufacture, a flue scraper having a centralflexible scraping section of interineshed wire, an annular springinclosed in said central section provided with outwardly projectingspurs to engage the meshes of the wire, whereby said spring is made toconform with the change 1n form of said central section.

. EDWARD F. FLETCHER.

Witnesses: y

PENELOPE COMBERBACH, RUFUs B. FowLER.

